Chapter 64: Single Combat with Cocolia

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The reason Bochang found it difficult to evade Cocolia's attacks was simple.

His stamina had not fully recovered, and using the Invisible Hand earlier to intercept her strikes exposed him to extreme cold, slightly slowing his reactions. This brief delay made timely evasions nearly impossible.

Cocolia was now just two meters away.

Floating on her feet, she towered slightly above the black-haired youth. The chilling aura emanating from the Great Guardian even made Bochang feel a renewed sense of coldness.

It was an overwhelmingly intimidating sight.

As he watched Cocolia raise her imposing Big Biodou,

Bochang suddenly realized that if he had recklessly charged out moments ago, his fate would likely have been similar. His only options were to use the teleportation ring or block with the Invisible Hand again.

At this moment, Bochang's stamina had significantly recovered, allowing him to unleash another powerful Dragon Blast. Even if it couldn't kill Cocolia outright, it would certainly inflict damage.

However, at such close proximity,

Additionally, Bochang would likely suffer from the Dragon Talisman's recoil.

"You don't necessarily need to use Dragon Blast; the Sheep Talisman works too. Watch as I send your soul flying with just one punch."

As Cocolia approached, Bochang remained unfazed, having just acquired powerful new gear.

Initially planning to dodge with all his might, Bochang now confidently prepared for a counterattack.

He retrieved the Holy Shield from the system space.

At first, Bochang expected it to be quite large, but surprisingly, it was similar in size to a medal, resembling more of a toy with sharp edges.

"Not bad that it's small...if larger, claiming ownership through blood would have been trickier."

With no time to perform a proper blood ritual, Bochang exerted force with one hand, allowing the shield's edge to pierce his palm.

The pain heightened his senses, making him even more alert. As fresh red blood stained the Holy Shield, it instantly began to glow and vibrate, almost as if trying to fly out of his grasp.

Ignoring all defenses, Bochang swung his glowing left fist directly at Cocolia.

"What's he doing...? Not only did he not dodge, but he's actually attacking me?" Cocolia was taken aback, thinking, "Since you're so eager to die, I'll gladly oblige!"

Compared to Bochang's punch speed, Cocolia was naturally faster. However, instead of striking with her palm, she waved her hand and summoned an icicle aimed straight for Bochang's chest.

It happened too swiftly; Stelle had no time to provide support.

Only March 7th, with her foresight, quickly fired a pink beam to cast a Shield on Bochang.

Unfortunately, before the pink Shield could reach him, the icicle pierced through Bochang's chest.

Stelle, March 7th, and Serval stared wide-eyed, momentarily unable to believe what they just witnessed.

Attempting to resist an icicle with mere flesh was bound to have dire consequences.

Watching this unfold, Sampo thought to himself, "Will that guy die now? It might be for the best... I suspect it's his meddling that caused everything to spiral out of control."

"However... even if he dies here, I don't think I can set things back on track anymore."

Despite these thoughts, Sampo had a gut feeling.

The other party wouldn't perish so easily.

"When I first encountered him... should I have taken action right away?" Sampo began reflecting on his previous actions. After a moment, he shook his head, realizing that striking immediately might have led to a disastrous outcome for himself.

Stelle's golden eyes trembled with boundless anger and guilt flooding her heart. If not for trying to save her, Bochang would never have rushed forward like this. It was all due to her carelessness.

In that instant, the gray-haired girl felt as though she glimpsed the vastness of the universe.

But...

In the very next second, all her fury evaporated.

For Stelle saw that the icicle had no effect on Bochang whatsoever.

The black-haired youth had activated the Divine Shield, rendering him invulnerable to any attack for three seconds. His entire body shimmered with a golden glow.

The icicle seemed to hit an impenetrable wall, shattering inch by inch and dissipating as white mist.

The ice could not breach the golden light's defense at all.

With Cocolia's attack concluded, it was now Bochang's turn.

"How is this possible?!" The Great Guardian was stunned.

Unfazed, Bochang launched a punch... For the Sheep Talisman's power to affect others, physical contact was necessary. Without direct contact, forcibly extracting someone's soul required Bochang to be significantly stronger than his opponent.

Clearly, Bochang did not overpower Cocolia; his strength lay in his peculiar abilities and unique items. One might even call him akin to Daoist Many Treasures.

Cocolia noticed Bochang's incoming punch. Although she doubted its attacking power, nonetheless...

The Great Guardian instinctively attempted to dodge. After all, her opponent chose to strike with their fist instead of using the long spear they held. This unusual choice made Cocolia wary of standing still to take the blow.

No matter how she looked at it, something felt eerie about this attack. Cocolia dared not stand her ground to face it directly, but just as she tried to move...she realized she was restrained, unable to budge.

"Something's holding me back. Are those three extra hands? Where exactly is he grabbing?!?"

Feeling both humiliated and enraged, Cocolia seemed entangled by three massive python-like entities. Despite being influenced by Stellaron, the Great Guardian still experienced her own emotions.

From the perspective of March 7th and others:

Cocolia appeared to twitch slightly, then froze again, with additional marks of constriction appearing on her body—clearly imprints left by three sets of fingers gripping her.

Still shaken, Sampo remarked, "I can't see... I simply cannot follow his attacks. If I had truly confronted him earlier, my fate would likely be no different from Cocolia's."

Invisible attacks were profoundly terrifying, as they meant there was no way to dodge or effectively defend against them—an almost literal dimensional superiority.

To Bochang, it was clear that three large black-purple hands had ensnared and tightly gripped Cocolia, rendering her immobile.

Bochang, wearing his black bear mask, unleashed a punch accompanied by a gust of wind and traces of blood, striking directly at Cocolia.

His merciless blow landed on her stomach, shattering the ice armor covering her body.

Cocolia's slender frame slightly bent forward. Although her abdomen didn't physically hurt much, she felt a profound tremor within her soul, triggering a flood of memories from her childhood, school days, and even after becoming a Great Guardian...

Bochang was somewhat surprised.

The Sheep Talisman's power had failed to extract Cocolia's soul entirely.

Indeed, Cocolia remained too formidable.

[Dating Options activated.]

[Option 1: Strike while she's vulnerable, unleash the full force of the Dragon Talisman with a cannon blast, and declare, "Perish!" — Completion Reward: Random item, ranging from a matchstick to a star destroyer. Note: Such items will...]

[Option 2: Violence isn't the answer; instead, use the empowered fist of the Sheep Talisman to enlighten her, saying, "If you've been bewitched, let me awaken you." — Reward: Increase mental energy by 100%.]